Makoto and Kyoko Go Out!
by WiiFan2009
Summary: With Makoto pleading with her for a date night, Kyoko reluctantly agrees to allow Komaru and Hina to babysit Kiki for a couple of hours. Will Kiki's two favorite aunties be able to handle watching their niece by themselves? And will Kyoko will be able to ignore her separation anxiety and enjoy a date night with her husband?
1. Auntie vs Auntie?

A/N: So, here's the next entry in my Danganronpa Gaiden series, taking place a few months after Kiki's birthday. This entry was requested by one of my followers on AO3 and Tumblr. This will be a two-shot, so please read and review, and enjoy!

The Ultimate Detective and The Ultimate Hope Gaiden: Makoto and Kyoko Go Out!

Chapter One: Auntie vs. Auntie?

"Makoto, we've been over this before. It's not the right time yet; I'm just not ready for a night out."

Makoto had been begging for days to Kyoko for them to go out to dinner together, but his wife had yet to budge.

"Come on, Kyoko! It's just for one night. Besides, I miss the days when we would go out and it would just be us. So let's recapture some of those memories. It'll be just like our high school days!" Makoto walked behind her, wrapping his arms around her torso until his fingers locked against her belly and swaying her back and forth as he suavely spoke in her ear "Remember when Byakuya gave me that coupon to one of those high-class restaurants and we enjoyed their fancy French food, and we waltzed together on the restaurant's dance floor afterwards?"

Kyoko couldn't help but smile as she closed her eyes and blushed at the memory. Reliving that memory with her husband was only too tempting, but her practical side dissuaded her by reminding her of the responsibility currently squirming in her arms that they didn't have all those years ago.

"It's different now, though. Sweetie, we have a baby now. Kiki still requires our undivided attention, and I'm not ready to be apart from her yet."

"Kyoko…if you spend all your time trying to avoid being apart, you'll never move forward."

Kyoko scoffed, replying with a hint of bitterness "Oh, how clever of you, using my own words from back then against me."

"Hey, I learned from the best!" Seeing Kyoko frown, Makoto apologized "Sorry, you're right; I went too far with that one. But Kyoko…you know that we'll have to find a babysitter at some point for you to go back to work, right? I know that as Headmaster, I could theoretically keep extending your maternity leave indefinitely, but I don't think that's healthy. I'm okay if you want to take this one step at a time; I just thought that starting with a 2- or 3-hour date could be that first step."

Sighing, Kyoko admitted "I…I can't deny your logic is sound. But, there's still the question of who to watch her. I refuse to leave my daughter with any random babysitter, no matter what the duration. That's a non-starter."

Nodding, Makoto agreed "I know, which is why I thought we could leave her with Komaru and Hina. We know both of them, one is our flesh and blood family while the other is family in all but name, and they both adore Kiki! So what do you say? We ask them to babysit for three hours while we go to dinner and dancing this weekend? Doesn't that sound wonderful?"

Looking down at the still squirming Kiki, Kyoko struggled to overcome the lump in her throat as she gave in.

"Okay. I can agree to those terms."

XXX

"Okay, so there's baby food in the fridge in case she gets hungry. Baby wipes and diapers are in the closet next to the bathroom. Kiki's toys and books are in my and Kyoko's room, which we've left open for you. The TV and iPad are off-limits while we're gone, but other than that, you can play with her however you want. We plan to be back by seven, so she should be just about ready to take her bath and go to bed when we come back. If you have any trouble, call us on our cell phones. Understood?"

Komaru and Hina nodded, the younger Naegi walking up to fix her brother's tie as she assured him "Yeah, don't worry tonight; we'll take care of everything. You and Kyoko just enjoy your date!"

As if on cue, Kyoko entered the room, shimmering green dress flowing behind her. The young parents had opted to wear their wedding attire on their dinner date tonight, since it counted as casual clothing.

Blushing, Makoto stammered "Wow…Kyoko, you…you…"

Smiling, Kyoko pecked him on the lips as she teased "Glad to see I can still wow you as much as I could on our wedding day."

Her smile fading, she looked to her daughter, standing between the two babysitters before kneeling before Kiki.

"Mommy and Daddy are going out for a couple of hours, okay? Auntie Komaru and Auntie Hina are gonna stay and play with you, so behave for them, okay?" Seeing her daughter nod, Kyoko embraced Kiki, hiding her face in her daughter's shoulder to hide her watery eyes as she finished "Mommy loves you, Kiki!"

Reluctantly letting go, Kyoko wiped her tears on her wrist before quickly turning away, strolling up to her husband who had already faced towards the door, looping her left arm in his right.

Turning his head around, Makoto called back while waving "Bye Kiki!"

Waving back, Kiki called "Bye, Dada. Bye, Mama."

Before Kyoko could chicken out, Makoto started to walk, using their looped arms to pull Kyoko with him.

"Have fun on your date, you two!"

Shaking his head in amusement, Makoto wordlessly walked the two of them out to the car, shutting the door behind him. The Naegi parents having officially left the mansion, Hina and Komaru both kneeled next to Kiki, wide grins stretching from ear to ear.

"Alright, Kiki; what do you wanna play first?"

XXX

"Hi, we have a five o'clock reservation. It should be under the name Naegi."

The waiter manning the entrance briefly lowered his eyes to the book in front of him, scanning until he exclaimed "Ah yes, Naegi. Table for two." The waiter then grabbed two menus and walked away, Makoto and Kyoko following after he urged "Right this way, Mr. and Mrs. Naegi."

They found themselves at a small, square table surrounded by a variety of other tables with families already eating at them. Behind the assortment of tables was a sleek, silver dance floor, with a blond pianist sitting nearby to play upon request.

Handing them the two menus as they sat down, the unnamed waiter informed them "Here are your menus. Tojo will be your server tonight. If you decide to partake in our dance floor, just inform Akamatsu over by the piano if you'd like to have any specific songs played while you dance. We hope you have a wonderful time here at Chez Harmony."

The main waiter then walked away, leaving the couple alone. After a few seconds of silence, Makoto started to flip through the menu.

"So…what looks good to you?"

Humming, Kyoko started to thumb through the possible meal choices, her eyes lighting up in surprise as she realized "Oh, I didn't know this place had a kids' menu. Maybe we should bring Kiki here when she's older." The mention of her daughter suddenly reminding her of her separation anxiety, she thought "Maybe I should check in on them…"

Rolling his eyes, Makoto assured her "Kyoko, they're fine. Komaru and Hina are taking good care of Kiki, so let's just enjoy our date night, okay?"

Taking a deep breath, Kyoko apologized "You're right; I'm sorry, Makoto. It's just…I'm so anxious, being away from my daughter for the first time. It's…"

Threading his fingers with hers, Makoto soothed her "Hey, it's okay. If it helps, I was really nervous when I had to go back to work after Kiki turned six months. But I pushed myself to focus on the job, and I did fine, because I knew she was in capable hands. I know the first time away is hard and nerve-wracking, but once they bring us the food and it floods our taste buds and we start dancing, it'll become just a little bit easier, okay?"

Nodding, Kyoko smiled at her husband's attempt to comfort her and whispered "Okay."

She then continued flipping through the menu, trying to pin down what she wanted to eat tonight.

XXX

"And the prince and princess lived happily ever after. The end."

Kiki giggled and clapped her hands together, making Komaru smile as she finished reading one of Toko's storybooks.

Kiki however wasn't satisfied quite yet, demanding "More! More!"

"More? You want more storytime?"

Nodding vigorously, Kiki chirped "Yeah! More, Maru!"

Smiling, Komaru conceded "Alright, we'll do more storytime. But why don't we give Auntie Hina a turn to tell it this time? Then you can tell us which one tells a better story."

Grinning competitively, Hina pumped her fists, accepting "Oh, you're on!"

Pulling Kiki onto her lap, Hina reached for a storybook that resonated particularly well with her, holding it in front of Kiki as she began to read.

"Once upon a time, there was a little swimmer girl…"

XXX

Synchronized sips could be heard from the Naegi's table. Makoto had ordered some nice, calming green tea while Kyoko was consuming her favorite French champagne. To her credit, Kyoko was finally starting to relax…or maybe it was the alcohol releasing her inhibitions.

Smiling, Makoto asked "See? Isn't this wonderful now that you're finally starting to relax and get into it?"

Chuckling under her breath, Kyoko agreed "You're right, it is. Thank you for this, Makoto. You really are a sweetheart."

Makoto blushed, smiling at his wife as she gave a blushing smile in return. All seemed to be right…unfortunately it was not meant to last.

"Mama!"

Startled, the Naegis turned their heads around to see a young girl no older than three or four pestering what appeared to be their mother.

"Mama! When's our food coming?"

Smiling in amusement, the mother replied "Be patient, darling. It'll be here soon, I promise."

Makoto turned around again to face his wife, concern crossing his face as Kyoko appeared distant again.

_Oh no…_Makoto groaned internally as he saw Kyoko fishing through her purse. "Kyoko…what are you doing?"

Withdrawing a purple iPhone from her purse, Kyoko answered "Maybe I should just check in, see how Kiki's doing. Something could have…"

"Nothing's happened, honey. Kiki's doing just fine." Sticking out his palm, Makoto ordered "Now, hand over the cell phone. You can have it back when we leave the restaurant, but we're here to relax, and your access to a cell phone seems to be exacerbating your anxieties."

Grumbling, Kyoko reluctantly dropped it into his palm, Makoto slipping it into his pocket next to his Android. Makoto then suddenly grasped her palm, laying a kiss on top, making Kyoko blush.

Smiling up at her, Makoto soothed "I know it's scary, believe me, I know, but Kiki's not gonna be helped by you constantly worrying about her." A proud gleam in his eyes, Makoto praised "She's a smart cookie, just like her mother. She'll be able to see that you were worried, and that'll make her sad. So try to relax and have fun; it's what Kiki would say if she were here…and could talk in sentences longer than two words…"

Smiling again, Kyoko nodded and surrendered "You're right. I'll…try to relax more tonight…for Kiki."

Grinning at his success, the two began to stare lovingly into each other's eyes as they waited for their food.

XXX

"And that's how the little swimmer girl became the Ultimate Swimming Pro. Then she lived happily ever after training with her lifelong friend Sakura. The end!"

Kiki clapped her hands, giggling in amusement as she squealed "YAY IINA!"

Giggling, Hina cooed "You liked that huh? Guess that seals it; I'm the better storyteller!"

Rolling her eyes, Komaru conceded "I'll admit it was good, but I bet she still liked mine better." Kneelign at a 45-degree angle to Kiki, she cooed "Isn't that right, Kiki? Auntie Komaru's your favorite storyteller, isn't it?"

Nudging Komaru with her shoulder, Hina cooed "No, tell her, Kiki. Auntie Hina's your favorite storyteller, isn't she?"

Staring at her two aunts, Kiki adopted a thinking expression before smiling and pointing to both of them, exclaiming "Both!"

Both women pouted, upset that Kiki hadn't chosen a favorite between them.

"Okay, so maybe she likes us equally as storytellers. But still…" Komaru pulled Kiki into her lap, continuing smugly "I bet I'm still her favorite auntie. I saw her first after all, which means I've spent more time bonding with her."

Looking up at Komaru with confusion, Kiki asked with a confused expression "Maru?"

"Yeah, by a whole week!" Hina scoffed as she pulled Kiki into her lap, reminding "Besides, at least I didn't make her cry when I first held her. Plus, Kyoko said I could be her godmother, too. So as far as I'm concerned, I'm more likeable as an auntie!"

This time at Hina, Kiki looked up with confusion again as she asked "Iina?"

Her eyes narrowed, Komaru tugged Kiki back into her lap by her upper arm, retorting "I'm her auntie by blood, which makes me closer to her. Therefore, I'm the better auntie."

Scoffing, Hina tugged Kiki back into her lap by her other arm as she retorted "Her parents and I survived two killing games together; that brings you closer together than any blood relation. Plus, I'm her mother's best female friend, so my closeness makes me the better auntie."

Tugging her back once more, Komaru tried a different approach as she argued "Well, I gave her a family picture for her birthday. You can't put a price on those memories, so my totally thoughtful present compared to the swimming equipment you gave her makes me a better auntie."

Sticking her tongue out, Hina tugged back and retorted "Hey! Not only can she make happy memories with those tubes and swimgear, but she'll also learn practical skills! The fact that I'm preparing her for her future makes me the better auntie."

Unwilling to back down, Komaru yanked Kiki back as she insisted "I'm her favorite auntie, and that's that!"

Scowling, Hina yanked Kiki back as she retorted "No, I'm her favorite auntie!"

"No, me!"

"No, me!"

"NO ME!"

"NO ME!"

Whether it was the scariness of her two favorite aunts arguing so fiercely, or the pain of being tugged and yanked back and forth between them by her arms like a dog's chew toy, Kiki had finally had enough. In the middle of a yank, she let out a bloodcurdling, screaming wail.

*WAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!*

The two bickering women stopped their tug of war, their niece falling between the two of them, frozen in shock before Hina's eyes narrowed as she accused "Now look at what you did! You make Kiki cry again!"

Her own eyes narrowed, Komaru accused "Me? Please, you're the one who was out of control. If anything, it's your fault she's crying!"

Scoffing, Hina retorted "No, it's your fault."

Shaking her head, Komaru retorted "No, it's your fault."

"No, you!"

"No, you!"

"NO YOU!"

"NO YOU!"

*WAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!*

A second scream was all it took to bring the two women back to their senses; looking at Kiki, they saw her pointing to both of them as she cried with tears streaming down her face "No, Maru! No, Iina!"

Faced with being corrected by their not even two-year-old niece, the two women looked at each other before looking to the ground in guilt.

"…Hina?"

"…Yeah?"

"…We're terrible, aren't we?"

Nodding, Hina confirmed "Yeah. Neither of us deserve to be her auntie, let alone her favorite."

Softly smiling, Komaru offered "Come on; what do you say we take care of her together, like we promised Makoto and Kyoko we would?"

Nodding vigorously, Hina agreed "Sure; I like that idea." Turning back to the still crying Kiki, the two crawled over to her on ther hands and knees and affectionately kissed her tears away, Hina beginning "Kiki, we're sorry. Auntie Komaru and I were being meanies to each other. But we're better now."

Nodding, Komaru concurred "Yeah. We're alright now, so you don't need to cry any longer, okay?"

As the two jointly kissed the last of her tears away, Kiki grinned and clapped, giggling "Yay, Maru! Yay, Iina!"

Smiling softly, the two women gently picked Kiki up so that she was sitting on both of their laps.

"Alright, Kiki. What do you want to play next?"

XXX

Kyoko froze mid-bite, dropping her fork on her plate as a worried expression crossed her face.

"Ma…Makoto?"

"Hmm?"

Kyoko stared at him as he continued to chew on his ratatouille, confessing "Something's wrong. I don't know what, but I've just got a bad feeling, like something's happening back home."

Sighing, Makoto pinched the bridge of his nose before dismissing "Kyoko, we've been over this. Your separation anxiety is just making you paranoid. If something was wrong, then Komaru and Hina would have called. Kiki's fine; you need to relax, honey."

"But what if…"

At that moment Tojo came by to check up on them. A light bulb going off in Makoto's head, he gestured for her to bend down. Once she was in earshot, Makoto began whispering in her ear. Once he was done, she nodded and walked away.

Looking at her husband skeptically, Kyoko asked "Makoto, what did you…"

"Okay, will the Naegi party please make their way to the dance floor for a special song?"

Akamatsu's voice reverberated through the room. Kyoko looked at her husband, shocked that he would pull this kind of a stunt now of all times, before sighing in surrender and taking his hand, letting him pull her up and walk her to the silver dance floor. Makoto then laced his left hand with her right while resting his right on her waist and Kyoko placed her left on his shoulder.

"Okay; here's a special ballroom dance number for the lucky couple!"

As Akamatsu began to play a slow song, Makoto began to lead his wife in a waltz, the young woman soon matching his rhythm, starting to find herself lost in the romantic moment.

Grinning, Makoto leaned close and murmured in her ear "Doesn't this remind you of our wedding day, Kyoko? Just us, the only ones here, dancing away without a care in the world? Isn't this just wonderful?"

Surrendering to his warm, soothing voice, as well as the memory of their innocent wedding, Kyoko smiled, leaning down against him to nuzzle his cheek.

"Besides…if it makes you feel any better…once we're done dancing, we can pay for our food and go home if you want. But for now, don't rush it okay? Just focus on me, and let me dance all your worries and anxieties away, okay?"

Kyoko nodded against his cheek, making Makoto smile in victory as his wife finally relaxed, the two slowly spinning in circles as they lost themselves in their love for each other.

XXX

"Alright, Kiki? Which hole does the triangle go into?

Thinking for a moment, Kiki successfully put the tringle piece in the triangle-shaped hole and giggled, clapping in victory.

"Yay! Great job, Kiki!" Komaru and Hina applauded, clapping before the sound of a door opening reverberated through the room, making all three girls turn around to see Makoto walking through the door.

"Tadaima!"

"Dada!"

Kiki pulled herself up and started to toddle toward her father's voice, Komaru and Hina following close behind. Soon, the three laid their eyes on Makoto in the entryway, Kyoko standing next to him.

"Dada! Mama!"

A teary-eyed Kyoko ran up to her daughter, catching her mid-tottle and picking her up, spinning her in a circle in the air before embracing her in a vice, peppering Kiki's face with kisses.

"Oh, my baby!" *Smooch* "My baby Kiki!" *Smooch* "Mommy missed you!" *Smooch* "So much!"

"Mama!"

Kiki giggled at being kissed over and over by her mother, while Makoto chuckled and confessed "…Yeah, she couldn't keep her mind off Kiki during our whole date. Did everything turn out okay? Did Kiki behave herself?"

Nodding, Hina confirmed "Yep! She was a darling little angel!"

Smiling, Makoto replied "That's good. Well, you two should head home now; I need to give Kiki her bath before she goes to sleep, so…"

"…What's this?"

Instantly turning around, Makoto looked at his wife, whose purple eyes were widened with shock.

"Kyoko? Honey, what's the matter?"

Uncurling one of Kiki's sleeves, Kyoko revealed "Look; her upper arms have some red handprint marks on them."

Sure enough, red handprints wrapped around both of her upper arms, making Makoto's eyes widen in shock. Komaru and Hina completely froze in realization.

_Oh crap!_

Putting the pieces together, Kyoko directed her famous "Kirigiri glare of death" at the two babysitters, making Komaru and Hina wilt in fear. It wasn't long before Makoto also put together the pieces in his mind, making him stare with disappointment at his friend and sister, making their hearts break.

Easing Kiki into his grip, she told her husband "Makoto, you give Kiki her bath and tuck her in, okay? Hina, Komaru, follow me to my study, **now.**"

Sighing, Makoto's face softened as he told his daughter "Alright Kiki; it's time for your tubby and night night. Say goodbye to Auntie Komaru and Auntie Hina."

Giggling, Kiki waved as Makoto carried her away, the cheekiest grin on her face as she called out "Bye, Maru! Bye, Iina!"

Before long, they were left alone with Kyoko, who merely started walking and gestured for them to follow her. With no other option, they obeyed, walking somberly behind her until they reached a room that was painted dark purple, the only room whose color scheme was untouched during the repainting of the first floor, accentuating the former Detective's angry glare. The two babysitters standing in front of her desk, Kyoko walked over to a cabinet in the far corner, grabbing a goblet and another bottle of champagne. Taking them to her desk, she sat down and began to pour herself a glass, staring her prey in the eyes.

"Now then, Komaru, Hina, what did you do to my daughter?"

Gulping, Komaru and Hina's shoulders slumped.

_Well, it's punishment time._


	2. Hina and Komaru's Punishment

The Ultimate Detective and The Ultimate Hope Gaiden: Makoto and Kyoko Go Out!

Chapter Two: Hina and Komaru's Punishment

"What did you do to my daughter?"

Komaru and Hina twitched nervously at Kyoko as she took another sip of champagne, her Kirigiri glare proving just why she was so effective as Makoto's right hand and self-appointed Dean of Discipline.

"Wh…what are you talking about, sis?"

"Y…yeah!" Hina followed Komaru's stammer as she weakly defended "We l…love Kiki. We w…wouldn't do any…thing to…"

A hardened glare silenced the two as Kyoko interrupted "Don't even **try** lying to me; I used to be a Detective, don't forget. When I came home, Kiki had red handprints on her arms that were **not** there before. The two of you were the only ones in this house during the entire time we were gone, which makes you two the only possible suspects. I could marginally excuse Komaru for tyring to pull one over on me, but you of all people, Hina, should remember what happens to those who try to lie to me."

Hina winced in guilt as she flashed back to the trial where she tried to get all of her surviving friends executed for Sakura's act of suicide.

After taking another sip, Kyoko demanded once more "Now, I want you both to explain to me, what did the two of you do to my baby girl?"

Her shoulders slumped, Hina stepped up to the plate; taking a deep breath, she began "So, it happened like this…"

XXX

Kyoko sighed, rubbing her forehead with her fingers as she confirmed "So let me see if I've got this straight. You two were reading stories to Kiki, then you started arguing over who my daughter preferred more, during which you got so fired up you inadvertently kept tugging her back and forth in a tug of war until she cried. Did I miss anything?"

"No."

"No."

Taking another sip of champagne, Kyoko glared, asking with a hardness in her voice "Do you have any idea how this reflects on us? Not just on you, but me as well?"

As Kyoko drained her glass, Hina and Komaru's expressions changed from fear to confusion, puzzled at what Kyoko was referring to.

"What are you talking about, Kyoko?" Komaru demanded, continuing "Hina and I were the ones that got carried away; we're the ones at fault, not you!"

Kyoko glared at them with angry tears in her eyes, startling the two young women. Komaru had never seen Kyoko be emotionally upset, and Hina could count on one hand how many times she had been witness to Kyoko's more vulnerable emotions. But it was evident that the amount of alcohol she had consumed tonight had ripped away all of her emotional inhibitions and put on full display the outbursts and confessions that were normally reserved for Makoto and Makoto alone.

"But I was the one who agreed to have you babysit. Makoto may have suggested it, but I agreed to let you watch her without my supervision. And if I hired a babysitter who let Kiki come to harm, then what does that mean for my ability to make decisions as a Mother? It means that I'm a bad Mother! And I can't be a bad Mother to Kiki!"

Komaru and Hina froze in place as Kyoko laid her head on her desk, sobbing her eyes out as she continued to berate herself for Komaru and Hina's transgressions. They looked at each other with shock; never in a million years did they think Kyoko would judge her own actions so harshly as to blame herself for something that was beyond her control. Such a mentality seemed more in line for her husband than the Mother herself.

As Kyoko started to pour more champagne into her goblet, Hina and Komaru immediately rushed forward, confiscating the wine bottle and goblet as Hina cautioned "Well you can start by not drinking when you're upset. That's how you become an alcoholic, and none of us want **that** for you."

Staring up at Komaru and Hina guiltily, Kyoko reflected "My grandfather used to have a bottle of champagne he would drink from whenever he was unusually stressed working on a grueling case. I guess I picked up that bad habit from him, too."

Looking at Kyoko sympathetically, Hina comforted her "It's okay; just make sure it doesn't become a habit from now on. My parents were alcoholics and had way too many issues to effectively raise me because of it. Part of why I entered so many sports in school was to get them to finally put down the bottle and notice me. More importantly…" Hina and Komaru each grabbed one of her hands in comfort as she continued "Kyoko, it's **our** fault that we got carried away and accidentally hurt Kiki. You believed you could trust us, and we wanted you to trust us."

"Yeah!" Komaru interjected. "And besides, Nee-chan, Hina and I realized that we took things too far and apologized to Kiki. After that, we all went back to playing without incident. You can trust us, Kyoko. What happened today won't happen again, I promise. Don't let tonight scare you out of having a life outside of your daughter again, or make you question your competence as a Mother. Because to us, there's nobody more qualified to be Kiki's Mom!"

Sniffling, Kyoko calmed down, her shoulders slumping into a relaxed position as a small smile crossed her lips, making Hina and Komaru smile with relief in turn.

"Thanks, Komaru, Hina. At least I know…Kiki has two Aunts who…love her…"

"…Kyoko?"

"…Nee-chan?"

Light snoring greeted them, Kyoko having evidently fallen asleep from being emotionally worn out.

Sighing, Hina walked behind her, urging "I've got her shoulders. Komaru, can you grab her feet?"

Nodding, Komaru walked over to the desk, kneeling down to grab Kyoko's feet before springing back up. The two then proceeded to carry the snoozing, and probably hungover former Detective to her and Makoto's room.

XXX

"…What happened?"

Makoto's eyes widened as he gently placed a snoozing Kiki in her crib, watching as the two babysitters carried his sleeping wife onto the bed.

Looking at Makoto guiltily, Hina assured him "She's just tuckered out. We had a talk in her study, and she got pretty emotional, so she got really exhausted and fell asleep." Glancing toward Kiki's crib, Hina apologized "We really are sorry about what happened, Makoto. We **never** wanted to hurt Kiki, we swear."

Sighing, Makoto effectively dropped it, informing them "I'll…get the full story from Kyoko tomorrow morning, and we can continue this discussion again when you two come to deliver your student progress reports to my office on Monday."

The both of them nodding, Komaru asked nervously "So…does this mean we…can't see Kiki anymore?"

Sighing, Makoto went to tuck Kyoko in, answering as he brought the blanket up to her chin "We'll discuss babysitting arrangements on Monday, but I don't think either of us would object to you visiting Kiki. I don't know the full story yet, but I have hope that this little incident wasn't intentional. Let's all get a good night's sleep, and we'll tackle this again on Monday."

Grinning with happy tears in her eyes, Komaru ran up to her brother, embracing him as she whispered "Thankyouthankyouthankyou!"

Chuckling, Makoto reassured her "Hey, we're family, remember? I wouldn't dare ban Kiki's two favorite Aunties from seeing her! Now, you guys go home and go to bed, okay?"

Both women nodding, they moved to exit the Naegis' room before Hina stopped in her tracks, warning him "Oh, Makoto? Kyoko was also drinking a fair amount of champagne during our talk, so she'll probably be hungover by the time she wakes up tomorrow."

Frowning, Makoto looked to his wife as he replied "I…see. Thanks…for letting me know."

Hina nodded before assuring him "Oh, but don't worry; Komaru and I made sure to caution her against making a habit of drinking when upset, so this should be just an isolated incident."

Smiling, Makoto thanked "Thanks, Hina. Now go to bed, alright?"

Nodding, Hina whispered "Alright. See you Monday, Makoto!" before hurrying out the door to catch up to Komaru.

Looking with concern at his wife, Makoto sighed before crawling under the blankets next to her, spooning her from behind as he placed a kiss on her cheek.

"Please don't go drinking when you're upset again, Kyoko. Just come and talk to me or Hina or Komaru or whoever, and we'll get through it, alright?"

Makoto received an unconscious groan from Kyoko, which he took as a gesture of acceptance.

"Well…" he whispered. "Our family can indeed be dysfunctional at times, but there's no question they love us. Don't worry Kyoko; everything's gonna be fine. Kiki has us, parents who love her, as well as a wide network of Aunts, Uncles, and Grandparents who would guard her with their lives if it came to it. Good night, Kyoko. Good night, Kiki. I love you both."

Kyoko gave a contented groan as her husband snuggled against her, the young man joining her in slumber as they awaited a new dawn.


End file.
